Regardless of the industry, current trends will always affect consumer spending. And while it won’t always be best for your individual operation to follow the latest hot trend, it is important for you to stay on top of the trends that affect the foodservice industry as a whole and consider integrating those that may help you bring in new customers or raise profits.
Customer Influence. Your customers have more influence than ever before, according to a survey of table-service operators taken by the NRA in October 2007, and they reward operators who give them the food they want, where and when they want it—whether that means delivered to their cars or ordered online. NRA research shows the following statistics: 47% of adults said they would use curbside takeout if their favorite full-service restaurant offered it, while 54% said they would also use the delivery option if offered. As part of a 2007 Consumer Survey by NRA, 46% of respondents said they would be interested in placing their orders online in advance of their arrival and having their food come out shortly after they are seated at a restaurant.
Tech Savvy. In addition to ordering options such as text and online ordering, some consumers are also seeking ways to speed up the ordering process when they’re at the restaurant. New advances include tableside ordering and payment kiosks, which allow electronic ordering and payment at the table. Many full-service operators don’t believe that electronic payment and ordering systems will become popular but, according to NRA surveys, customers are very enthusiastic about the prospect, with 44% saying they’d like to order electronically at the table, and 53% saying they’d try electronic payment at the table.
Earth Friendly. As more consumers make a concerted effort to lessen their effects on the environment, and more operators try to lower their energy costs, the trend of “going green” has become more and more popular, with some operators starting small by switching to energy-efficient lightbulbs and appliances, and others jumping in with both feet by utilizing resources such as hybrid delivery vehicles, recycled paper goods and solar panels. According to NRA research, 62% of adults surveyed said that they would choose a restaurant based on its environmental friendliness.
Each year, we take a look at which pizzerias have been making the greatest strides in building their businesses. This could mean discovering a pizzeria that’s been opening more stores and increasing sales consistently throughout the year, or finding an operator who has kept the same number of stores but is recording phenomenal per-unit sales growth. Last year, the 2007 PIE Award went to Fox’s Pizza Den, whose founder, Jim Fox, will receive his award on Friday, September 5, at this year’s Orlando Pizza Show.
This year, we’ll take the top three candidates and profile them in our October issue, with information including sales figures, growth, history and more. You’ll be invited to vote online for your favorite, with the winner being announced in our Nov/Dec 2008 issue.
The PMQ
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Did you know that more than 500 pizza chains operate at least three units, and 250 have at least 10? You’re getting exclusive access to everything we can fit into the space of this article, but if you’d like access to the other 45 fields of information contained in the PMQ Top 200 or are interested in viewing the entire list of 500 top pizza chains, contact Keith Gellman at 800-PMQ-4592 (800-767-4592) or pmq200@ pmq.com.
RestaurantChains.net is a market research company that specializes in publishing a refined multiunit database of restaurants’ corporate headquarters. The company researches and reverifies all companies and pertinent information three times per year. There are no opinions rendered in this list; rankings are based on unit counts on an academic basis, and many fields, including size and system sales, are estimates.
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